Extension handle for nonlifting injector-starting valves



Sept. 3, 1929. 'F'. J. KARKOSKA EXTENSION HANDLE FOR NONLIFTING INJECTORSTARTING VALVES Filed- Jan. 25 1927 gnuentoz c6 7 Patented Sept. 3,1929.

OF F ICE.

rnenir a. KAR-KosKn, or nnrnorr, MICHIGAN.

EXTENSION HAND-LE FOB NONLIFTING INJECTOR-STARTING VALVES.

Application filed January 25, 1927.

My invention relates to an extension handle for nonlifting injectorstarting valves on locomotives, and aims to provide a novel and improveddevice of this character for use in connection with modern locomotives,having the starting valve arranged exteriorly with respect to the cab,said valve in the present instance being provided with means whereby itmay be conveniently operated in an ellicient manner. 3

Another object of the invention is to provide an extension handle forthe purpose mentioned above for controlling the starting valve, whichwill eliminate all danger of the valve closing due to vibration whilethe locomotive is in operation, as often occurs with extension handlesnow commonly used, such closing being quite dangerous as it permits theescape of water which might cause the blowing up of the boiler.

A further object of the invention is the provision of an extensionhandle or, operating rod and bracket for attachment to the lever of thestarting valve, said bracket slidably supporting the operating rodhaving a handle positioned within easy reach from within the cab and therod being adapted to be forced against spring tension into engagementwith a trigger on the valve lever in order to release the lever andpermit the same to be moved forwardly, rearward movement being effectedby merely pulling on the handle.

It is also an object of the invention to provide a device of the aboveindicated character, which is simple and substantial in construction,can be manufactured economically, and will be thoroughly eflicient andpractical in use.

With the foregoing and other objects in View, which will be apparent asthe description proceeds, the invention resides in the construction andarrangement of parts, as hereinafter described and claimed, it beingunderstood that immaterial changes can be made within the scope of whatis claimed, without departing from the spirit of the invention.

The invention is illustrated in the accom-' panying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary vertical section through a non-liftinginjector starting valve, showing my improved extension handle connectedto the lever of the valve,

Figure 2 is a fragmentary vertical section through the forward end of myimproved on tension handle and through a portion of the lever of thevalve, and

vided at its inner end with Serial No. 183,439.

Figure 3 is a tension handle.

Referring to the drawings, the numeral designates a non-lifting injectorstarting valve having a pivoted lever 11 for operating the valve inorder to govern the amount of steam admitted through the same, saidlever having thereon a pivoted pawl 12 for engaging a notched quadrantl3 forholding the lever in a position with the valve open. Attached tothe pawl is a rod 14 extending upwardly through the offset upper portion15 of the lever with a coil spring 16 encircling the rod and seated in arecess in said offset portion to bear against a head 17 on therod foractuating said rod to normally hold the pawl in engagement with thenotched quadrant. Pivoted in the upper end of the lever 11 by pin 22 isa trigger 18 in engagement with the head 17 on the rod 14 and having adepending arm so that upon forcing said trigger arm towards the lever11, the rod will be forced plan view of my improved ex- .downwardly.against the action of the spring and thus lift the pawl-12 from thenotched quadrant 1". lVhen the pawl is disengaged from the quadrant thelever 11 is released and may be moved forwardly. The construction so fardescribed is that of a well known type of starting valve and forms nopart of my invention.

In carrying out my invention I provide a shaped bracket 20 presentingspaced apart members for supporting a cross-pin 22 which takes theplaceof the for pivotally mounting the trigger 18 in the upper end of thelever 14:. The bi ghtportion of the U-shaped bracket is enlarged, as at23,

and provided with a longitudinal opening 24' extending therethrough, edin this opening is an operating rod proa downwardly projecting arm26,contiguous pin usually employed 9 and slidably mount- 9 to thetrigger-arm l8 and adaptedto be forced into engagement therewith forswinging the trigger on its pivot. Arranged about the rod 25 beyond thebracket is a coil spring 27 interposed between the bracket 20 andacollar 28 on the rod, said collar being held'against movement on therod by means of a cotter pin 29, and for convenience in operating therod it is provided with a looped handle 30. It will be noted that thespring normally holds the depending arm 26 of the operating rod out ofengagement with the trigger-arm l8 and thus avoids operation of saidtrigger-arm until pressure is applied on the rod for sliding the same inthe bracket against the action of said spring.

The rod is of a length sufficient to permit the convenient operation ofthe valve from the cab seat of a locomotive, and may have any type ofbearing at its rear end for preventing the same from swinging downwardlyand operating the trigger due to its weight. In modern locomotives asnow constructed, the valve is locatedoutside the cab at a positioninconvenient for operation by the engineer from the cab seat, and byproviding my improved form of extension handle and cooperating devicesthe valve may be con veniently manipulated in a safe manner.

The operationof my improved extension handle is very simple, the valvebeing opened by merely grasping the handle and pulling on the same untilthevalve is open to its desired position when the pawl on the lever willengage, in a notch in the quadrant and thus hold the valve in such openposition. To close the valve the handle is pushed forward causing thespring 27 to be slightly compressed until the arm 26 at the inner end ofthe rod engages the trigger-arm 18 and swings the trigger on its pivotthus forcing the connecting rod 14 downwardly and disengaging the pawl12 so that further forward movement of the operating rod will actuatethe valve-lever 11 to close the valve.

It is to be noted that the coil spring'QY is suiiiciently strong toprevent any vibration of the locomotive when in operation beingcommunicated to the valve operating mechanism and cause operation of thetrigger. In practice it has been found that the extension handles forvalves now commonly used will turn under the influence of the vibrationof the locomotive until the locking mechanism employed in connectionwith the lever 11 is released permitting the valve to close. Valveoperating means of this kind are therefore dangerous as water may escapeto such an ex tent as to cause injury to the boiler. From the foregoing,it can be seen that I have provided an extension handle which may beoperated in the same manner as by grasping the valve-operating, lever 11directly, and as my improved valve operating means is employed inconnection with the usual operating means of the valve it may be appliedwithout any material alteration in the same, particular attention beingcalled to the fact that in the present instance it is necessary toovercome the tension of the spring 27 in order that the arm 26 may bemoved to operate the trigger,

preventing said trigger from being operated by vibration.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new is:

1. .An' extension handle for locomotive valves in combination with alever having a release member thereon, a U-shaped bracket attachedtosaid handle with the release member locatedbetween the spaced apartmembers thereof, a rod slidably carried by said U-shaped bracket, amember on said rod for actuating said release member in one direction,spring means for actuating said member in the other direction ornormally out of engagement with saidrelease member, and a handle on thefree end of said rod for manipulating the same in said bracket torelease said release member and to swing the lever on its pivot.

2. An extension handle for locomotive valves in combination with a leverhaving a release member thereon, a Ushaped bracket having the'spacedapart member-s thereof attached to the opposite sides of said lever andwith the release member located between said bracket members, saidU-shaped bracket having bore in the bight portion thereof, a rodslidably mounted in said bore, an arm on the inner end of the roddepending from between the members of thebracket, a coil spring on therod interposed between the bracket and a collar fixed on said rod fornormally holding said arm out of engagement with said release member,and a handle on the free end of said rod for sliding the same in thebracket to actuate the release member and for swinging the lever on itspivot.

3. An extension handle for locomotive valves in combination with a leverhaving a pivoted release member thereon, a U-shaped bracket having thespaced apart members thereof at opposite sides of said lever andconnected to said lever by means of the pivot pin which pivotallysupports the release member, said release member being arranged betweenthe members of said U-shaped bracket, a. rod slidably mounted in saidbracket, an arm on the inner end of said rod for engaging said releasemember, spring means for normally holding the rod with the arm out ofengagement with said release member, and a handle on the free end ofsaid" rod for sliding said rod to engage the arm at the inner endthereof with said release member and for swingingsaidlever on its pivot.

FRANK J. KARKOSKA.

